In this episode, Colleen continues sharing takeaways from her retreat with Dr. Amanda Hanson (midlifemuse) — and she names something that sits underneath so much of women's drinking, overgiving, perfectionism, and burnout: conditioning.

Not just childhood conditioning — cultural conditioning.

Colleen explains how patriarchy functions like an invisible rulebook: the expectations women follow without ever agreeing to them. Be good. Be pleasant. Be grateful. Don't be angry. Don't be too much. Don't embarrass anyone. Don't need too much. Don't take up space. Don't make people uncomfortable.

And over time, those rules don't just shape behavior — they create trauma. They train women to silence their truth, distrust their instincts, and prioritize everyone else's emotional experience over their own. And when a woman is disconnected from her needs, her voice, and her power, escapism becomes inevitable.

That's why Colleen connects this conversation directly to emotional sobriety: freedom isn't just about alcohol. It's about ending self-abandonment, taking radical ownership of your emotional life, and becoming the kind of woman who can handle discomfort without shrinking, pleasing, or numbing.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• How culture trains women to abandon themselves to stay safe

• Why patriarchy is a trauma system, not a debate topic

• How women unconsciously enforce the rules by judging other women

• Why "going along to get along" is survival, not character

• How escapism becomes the nervous system's only outlet

• Why emotional sobriety requires self-trust more than self-control

• The reframe: not "tear it down," but rise into power

This is a reminder that you're not here to become a "better woman."

You're here to become a Free woman.

You don't need to be "ready." You just need to be honest with yourself about where you are. Start With A Discovery Call ~ CLICK HERE.

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